


Challenge

by Miri Cleo (miri_cleo)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/F, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-25
Updated: 2009-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-03 17:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miri_cleo/pseuds/Miri%20Cleo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: Alex faces Patrice LaRue for the first time in and out of court.<br/>Spoilers: Spoilers, such as they are, for 10.18 "Baggage."<br/>Disclaimer: SVU belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Challenge

If the exchange itself hadn't been infuriating enough, the outcome was enough to put Alex in a mood. But it was when, through the corner of her eye, she caught Patrice LaRue smirking that she became absolutely livid. She began to clench her jaw to the point of pain as she shoved her notes into her case. Stabler and Moran were bearing down on her, but Alex pushed through them when she turned. Both men were practically stepping on her heels when she stepped into the hall.

"Alex…"

She pursed her lips but didn't stop. "Either find me another suspect or figure out how the hell Occuro could be in two places at once," she said, words clipped.

"He's our guy, Alex," Elliot said as he took hold of her elbow.

At that, she stopped, facing him as she drew her arm away. "Figure. It. Out." Alex looked from Stabler to Moran before turning on her heel. "I have things to take care of."

*****

When she walked into her office, slamming the door behind her, Alex found LaRue, hands clasped behind her back, admiring the art. She slid her bag off of her shoulder, letting it hit her desk as she put her hands on her hips.

"Who the hell let you in here?"

Patrice turned, and if Alex had expected to find the smug look she'd last seem gone, she was sorely disappointed. "It's a busy office, Counselor."

Alex pursed her lips. She didn't bother to disguise her actions as she glanced over her desk, trying to note anything that was out of place. Whether or not LaRue thought Alex trusted her was the least of her concerns.

"Your detectives," Patrice said, stepping into Alex's space, "are continuing to harass my client."

Alex scoffed in disbelief, shaking her head, but she didn't back down. "Your client is a serial killer." Unconsciously, she flicked her eyes up and down Patrice's body, only registering what she had done when she realized just how attractive opposing counsel was. Alex had to consciously stop herself from reaching to do up the button that probably shouldn't have been unbuttoned.

"You can't prove that." There was that smirk again, as if Patrice knew just what Alex had been thinking.

"I will," she said, too incensed by Patrice's expression to offer a smirk of her own as she closed the already minimal gap between them, "and you know that when I do, your client will never see the light of day outside a prison wall again."

Patrice began to toy with the button, rolling it between her fingers. "Your detectives have fucked up before…or so I hear."

Alex licked her lips, letting a silence that grew a beat too long hang between them. She tried to keep her eyes off of Patrice's fingers, but the distraction—a slight thing in the wake of all that weighted the moment—continued to draw her eye. Finally, Alex stepped forward, holding Patrice's eyes as she pushed her back against the desk. Whether or not it was rational never surfaced against Alex's anger as she cupped Patrice's face and kissed her forcefully.

Vaguely, she registered surprise when Patrice pressed back with just as much force. Alex gripped her bun, working her fingers through it until tendrils of hair began to fall. She wanted to shut her up, wanted…wanted to act where she knew it was out of her hands until Stabler and Moran did something about that. But Patrice wouldn't completely give in. Alex felt Patrice gripping her hips, pulling her forward. The woman was encouraging her, and when Alex realized that, she pulled away, trying to smooth her jagged breaths.

Blinking, Alex smoothed her jacket and licked her swollen lips. She struggled for something as the possibilities ran through her mind. LaRue could claim sexual harassment, but that was probably the least of it. And the worst was that Alex didn't know, didn't have any way to tell if she would.

"Keep your people under control, Cabot." Patrice ran her fingers through her hair before pushing off of the desk. "They've got a serial killer to find."

Alex stepped away from the desk, taking a deep, silent breath as she went to open the door. "See you in court."

*****

The situation wasn't ideally what Alex wanted, and she only presented the option after pacing in front of the DA's desk half an hour trying to fight it. Patrice, Alex noticed, managed some balance between stoicism and annoyance.

"Take life…or take your chances with lethal injection; that's all I'm offering," Alex said finally. The afternoon had worn on, and she was ready to simply be finished with the case.

Patrice pursed her lips, and Alex stepped away, biting back a heavy sigh as she let LaRue and Occuro confer a final time. She rubbed her forehead as she caught herself glancing up, eyes training down the line of Patrice's neck to the V in her shirt. She allowed that the long day, rather than her encounter with Patrice earlier in the week that made for the distraction.

And with just the paperwork to finish, Alex found herself again alone in her office with Patrice. At least this time in was on her own terms. She rounded her desk, feeling less heavy than when she had left to present the deal. It would all be over in the time it took Patrice to sign the paperwork, and Alex had a pen ready.

"You'll find everything in order."

Patrice took the paperwork but let the pen rest where Alex sat it. She perched on the edge of the desk, almost nonchalant as she looked through what Alex had given her. "Oh, I'm sure I will."

Alex raised her eyebrows as she watched Patrice cross her legs. She sat back, a little too determined to appear nonchalant about Patrice wasting her time, and she let her eye be drawn by the length of Patrice's leg, her imagination idly and of its own volition filling in the details obscured by Patrice's skirt.

She almost missed a beat when Patrice looked up, but Alex caught her eye, mimicking Patrice's own smirk as she slid the pen forward. The fingers touched briefly, pressure too deliberate to be merely circumstance. As if to demonstrate as much, Patrice stood and leaned almost elegantly over the desk to apply her signature without flourish. Alex's breath caught, to her dismay, audibly.

"Was there anything else?" she asked, pen still poised as she looked up, almost expectantly.

Alex licked her lips and stood. The air between them had gotten thick; she quickly got her things together, attention more focused on Patrice as she straightened. "That's all for that."

"Excellent."

Both women headed for the door, reaching for the knob at the same time. Alex found her fingers brushing Patrice's wrist as suddenly the space between them was miniscule and warm. She was going to offer a cursory apology and open the door, allowing Patrice to step out first, but Patrice was smirking again, this time with her eyes directly trained on Alex's.

The moment seemed poised between time, and Alex could acutely feel the heat of Patrice's skin. She grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer and twisting it behind Patrice's back as she kissed her. This time, it was Patrice twisting her fingers through Alex's hair. The sting made Alex moan softly in delight, but she dropped her case in order to take Patrice's wrist, pulling the blonde's hand out of her hair and twisting it behind her back to meet the other one. She pressed her body firmly into Patrice's, breaking the kiss without moving away.

"I think it's time to go get a drink." And to her surprise, this drew a whimper from Patrice. Alex smirked as she pulled away, opening the door and stepping aside. "After you."

She could almost see Patrice trying to regain her composure as she stepped out of the office. Alex took a moment, picking up her case and glancing back at the office before following. Patrice was running her fingers through her hair as she took measured steps towards the elevator. The sound of her own heels clicking pointedly filled Alex's ears, and she wondered just how long she could manage to keep on top of this.


End file.
